2008-06-23 23:45:07 -
- Career Education Corporation Lynne Baker lbaker@careered.com 847.851.7006 Mollie Cole mcole@careered.com 847.851.7569 Stephanie Izard, a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu Program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute, a Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) culinary school, is the first woman to become Bravo Channel's "Top Chef." Izard, a successful 31-year-old chef in Chicago, beat out 15 other competitors to win the title.
Wrapping its fourth season, the show pinned 16 chef-contestants head-to-head in 24 culinary challenges, all for the ultimate prize of $100,000, a feature in Food & Wine Magazine, a showcase at the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado, and a gourmet's dream vacation to the French Alps.
In the finale, the judges gave the three competitors a significant challenge, a four-course black-tie dinner for nine that had to include fish, poultry, red meat and dessert. The contestants were each paired with a big name New York restaurant chef.
Izard presented dishes of sauteed red snapper filet with truffled white asparagus and clam broth; seared quail breast with butter poached lobster ravioli and mango; lamb medallions with maitake mushrooms, olives and braised pistachios; and ricotta pound cake with lime glaze, pineapple and salted banana cream.
"We couldn't be more proud of Stephanie," said Jon-Paul Hutchins, executive chef of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. "Her performance and culinary savvy speak to the high-level classic education our students receive from the foremost French culinary program in the world, Le Cordon Bleu."
Izard joins the ranks of several other successful graduates from Career Education Corporation culinary schools, including Brad Miller, who competed on Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" and Scottsdale culinary-darlings Chef Kevin Binkley of Binkley's, Chef Silvana Esparanza of Barrio Cafe, and Chef Carlos Manriquez of Atlas Bistro. Prior to "Top Chef," Izard was chef and owner of Scylla, a Mediterranean restaurant in Chicago.
About Scottsdale Culinary Institute
The prestigious Scottsdale Culinary Institute (SCI) is an affiliate of Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, one of the largest providers of quality culinary arts education. The school offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Management and Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality & Restaurant Management, as well as Associate of Occupational Studies degrees in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality & Restaurant Management, and Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking; and certificate programs for Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking and Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts. SCI boasts two campuses, Camelback and Sky Bridge, and two student-run restaurants L'Academie and L'Ecole and promotes the professional growth of its students while fostering a mutual commitment between the school and the community. Scottsdale Culinary Institute is a member of the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) network of universities, colleges and schools. For more information, please visit www.chefs.edu.
About Career Education Corporation
The colleges, schools, and universities that are part of the Career Education Corporation (CEC) family offer high quality education to a diverse population of approximately 90,000 students across the world in a variety of career-oriented disciplines. The more than 75 campuses that serve these students are located throughout the U.S. and in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, and offer doctoral, master's, bachelor's, and associate degrees and diploma and certificate programs. Approximately one-third of students attend the web-based virtual campuses of American InterContinental University Online and Colorado Technical University Online.
CEC is an industry leader whose gold-standard brands are recognized globally. Those brands include, among others, the Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America; Harrington College of Design; Brooks Institute; International Academy of Design; American InterContinental University; Colorado Technical University and Sanford-Brown Institutes and Colleges. Through its schools, CEC is committed to providing quality education, enabling students to graduate and pursue rewarding careers.
For more information, see the company's website at www.careered.com. The company's website includes a detailed listing of individual campus locations and web links to its more than 75 colleges, schools, and universities.
Le Cordon Bleu graduate Stephanie Izard first female "Top Chef"
winner
